Methods and systems for position sensing of components in a manufacturing operation

• US 7,305,277 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Freeman, Philip L., Marsh, Joseph C., Dworschak, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US11/096,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 700/57, 700/59, 700/114, 700/192, 700/193
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49

Abstract

Methods and systems for position sensing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a first component by using at least one transmitter having a known position and orientation and in a line of sight with the three discrete point positions, the three discrete point positions having known distances relative to one another. The method computes a current position and orientation of the first component using data provided by the at least one transmitter and the three discrete point positions, along with position and orientation data from a last known location of the first component assuming that no sudden position changes since the first component has moved from the last known location. The first and second components may be a workpiece and a tool that performs a manufacturing operation on the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method of performing a manufacturing operation, comprising:

measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a first component by using at least one transmitter having a known position and orientation and in a line of sight with the at least three discrete point positions, the at least three discrete point positions having known distances relative to one another;

assuming no sudden position changes of the first component since the first component moved from a last known location;

computing a current position and orientation of the first component using the measured data provided by the at least one transmitter and the known relative distances between the at least three discrete point positions, along with position and orientation data from the last known location; and

performing the manufacturing operation using the computed current position and orientation of the first component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least 3 discrete point positions associated with the first component by using at least one transmitter includes measuring additional discrete point positions associated with the first component apart from the at least 3 discrete point positions, and further wherein computing the current position and orientation of the first component includes using data measured from the additional discrete point positions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with the first component includes measuring a discrete point position using at least one of a global positioning system, an infrared global positioning system, and a laser-based point tracking system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a second component by using at least one transmitter having a known position and orientation and in a second line of sight with the at least three discrete point positions, the at least three discrete point positions having known distances relative to one another;

assuming no sudden position changes since the second component has moved from a second last known location;

computing a current position and orientation of the second component using the measured data provided by the at least one transmitter and the known relative distances between the at least three discrete point positions, along with position and orientation data from the second last known location;

comparing the computed position and orientation associated with at least one of the first and second components with a desired position; and

moving at least one of the first and second components to bring them closer to the desired position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first component comprises a workpiece and the second component includes a tool adapted to perform an operation on the workpiece.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first component comprises a first portion of a structure and the second component comprises a second portion of the structure, and wherein moving at least one of the first and second components comprises moving at least one of the first and second components to prepare for attaching the first and second portions.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a second component includes measuring additional discrete point positions associated with the second component apart from the at least three discrete point positions, and further wherein computing the current position and orientation of the second component includes using data measured from the additional discrete point positions.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with the first component and measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with the second component includes simultaneously measuring the at least three discrete point positions associated with the first component and the at least three discrete point positions associated with the second component.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with the first component and measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a second component includes using at least one of a global positioning system, an infrared global positioning system, and a laser-based point tracking system.

10. A system for positioning first and second components for performing a manufacturing operation, comprising:

a measurement system comprising a first transmitter adapted to measure at least three discrete point positions associated with at least one of the first and second components, the at least three discrete point positions having known relative distances to one another, and the at least three discrete point positions being at least one of on and adjacent to the corresponding one of the first and second components; and

a data management device operatively coupled to the measurement system, the data management device including a processor portion, and at least one of software and instructions which, when executed, allow the data management device to;

receive the measured positions of the at least three discrete point positions,

compute the position and orientation of the at least one of the first and second components using the measured positions of the at least three discrete points on the at least one of the first and second components and the known relative distances between the at least three discrete point positions and auxiliary data and assuming no sudden position changes by the at least one of the first and second component, wherein the auxiliary data in the data management device includes a position and orientation of the at least one of the first and second component at a last known location; and

perform the manufacturing operation using the computed position and orientation of the at least one of the first and second components.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the measurement system includes at least one of a global positioning system, an infrared global positioning system, and a laser-based point tracking system.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second transmitter with a known position and orientation, the second transmitter being adapted to conduct measurements of additional discrete point positions on at least one of the first and second components, and further wherein the data management system is adapted to utilize the measurements made by the second transmitter in computing the position and orientation of the at least one of the first and second components.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the measurement system comprising a first transmitter adapted to measure at least three discrete point positions associated with at least one of the first and second components is further adapted to re-measure the at least three discrete point positions during a movement of the at least one of the first and second components.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the measurement system is further adapted to measure other discrete points apart from the at least three discrete points on at least one of the first and second components, the other discrete points not having distances known relative to the at least three discrete points, the measurement system being adapted to use the data from the other discrete points to improve data fidelity of the computed position and orientation of at least one of the first and second components.